


when i see you again

by manzini (writtendlessly)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Character Death Fix, M/M, POV Outsider, Sort of? - Freeform, he's not dead!!!!!, look i love ragnor with all my heart, lorenzo is still a whiny bitch, send tweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-08 12:56:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21476365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writtendlessly/pseuds/manzini
Summary: Ragnor is back after hiding out on a remote island for an undetermined amount of time. He has a lot to catch up on.
Relationships: Magnus Bane & Ragnor Fell, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 31
Kudos: 362





	when i see you again

**Author's Note:**

> I love Ragnor!!! And his friendship with Magnus!!!!! This is largely inspired by [Miscommunication by tothetrashwhereibelong](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19233034), so you should read it!
> 
> Twitter is @manziniyo. I plan to do more outsider POV style fics in the future.

Ragnor Fell has never owned a single calendar in his life. And it's been a _long_ life, so that's a strong statement. 

Ragnor has never bothered to keep track of time (he has an endless supply of it, after all) except for his brief time teaching those miserable little nephilim children. They were miserable in the sense that they were woefully inadequate compared to downworlders, but also they were just plain unhappy. In retrospect, the decade he spent living amongst Shadowhunters was probably one of his worst, but he hoped dearly that he imparted some wisdom and tolerance to the children. Given the rise—and fall, and subsequent rise again—of the Circle, he's not too confident.

The point is, he has no idea how much time has passed in his small beach house. 

As soon as he had received word that Valentine was back, and gaining support quickly, Ragnor had decided that the only safe thing to do was to hide. He faked his death in front of a few Shadowhunters and promptly abandoned London for a remote island in the Indian ocean. And then he waited.

Briefly, he projected himself back to New York to beat some sense into Magnus. (Metaphorically, of course, though he wasn't above physical action when it came to his headstrong friend.) But he spent most of his days reading and practicing new spells. The island was warded, but he was notified if anything, or anyone, tries to get through. When weeks go by and there's no contact from his friends or colleagues, he assumes they're respecting his wishes to remain hidden. 

When two years (give or take, remember: no calendars) go by, he starts to wonder if the war will ever end, if his friends are even alive anymore. He's never been a fighter, not like Cat or Magnus, but he starts to feel guilty that he saved his own ass instead of fighting for justice.

So he sends a message to the Spiral Labyrinth, explaining the situation and asking about the current status of the war. Only a day later he receives a reply. A simple parchment with one sentence on it.

_The war is over_.

Ragnor has barely finished reading it before he's portalling back to London.

His home looks ransacked and dusty, but a brief wave of his hand fixes that easily. He arranges a meeting with the current High Warlock of London and asks for any news about Magnus or Catarina. She doesn't know Cat, but she still refers to Magnus as _High Warlock_ so Ragnor assumes not much has changed in his absence. 

She gives him the address for the High Warlock of Brooklyn easily, albeit with a confused look on her face, and Ragnor makes his way to the garish mansion the next morning.

He knocks on the door, since the wards aren't calibrated to let him in for some reason, and waits. The person who opens the door is decidedly _not_ Magnus Bane.

"What do you want?" The man asks, crossing his arms. Ragnor thinks it's a bit strange for a High Warlock to be so immediately defensive, but Americans _do_ tend to be the brutish type.

"Where's Magnus?" 

The man looks at Ragnor with the same confused face as the High Warlock of London gave him, before it curls into something nastier, "Certainly not here."

Ragnor sighs, but he's well-versed in dealing with stubborn idiots. 

"Then where might I find him?"

"Magnus," the man says, with all the contempt he could possibly put into two syllables. "Is living in that wretched nephilim city with his atrocious _paramour_."

Ragnor isn't one for swearing, but— "What the fuck?"

"I thought the same thing! And personally, I believe—"

Ragnor cuts him off with the formation of a portal, catching a quick glimpse of the man's furious face as he steps through. 

Back in his London home again, he contemplates his next move. Clearly Magnus isn't in Brooklyn anymore, but Ragnor can't imagine a universe where he would willingly move to Idris. Frankly, he didn't expect the dalliance with the shadowhunter to last that long. 

He wanted to surprise Magnus, maybe catch him in the middle of something embarrassing, but it seems direct contact is the only way he's going to find Magnus again. He can still sense Catarina's magic in New York, but Magnus was always too powerful and too secretive to track. If Magnus didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be. Although usually he didn't hide from Ragnor.

So Ragnor sends off some more messages and realizes he hasn't been this communicative in centuries. 

Not even an hour later, there's a response from Magnus.

_I don't know who you think you are, but impersonating my loved ones will not win you any favor with me. If you have a request, you can go through the proper channels. If you wish to threaten me, let me remind you of my history in vanquishing threats much more powerful than you. Do not contact me again._

"Little harsh," Ragnor mutters to himself absentmindedly, realizing that Magnus doesn't believe that it's actually him. Which is not an outrageous conclusion to draw, but it _is_ rather frustrating. A few hours later, Catarina sends him a similarly threatening and disbelieving message.

_It's time to bring out the big guns_, he thinks.

His next message to Magnus reads:

_My dear Magnus,_

_I assure you that nobody is impersonating me, though I can understand why they would desire to do so. I have recently learned that the war is over and, upon receiving the good news, have decided we are long overdue for a celebration. _

_We can drink and chat like we used to along the River Thames, though I expressly forbid the consumption of any Seelie liquors after what happened the last time._

_Please let me know your earliest availability._

_Ragnor Fell_

He hopes the reference to their time together in London might persuade Magnus to believe it's him. It seems his plan worked, because Magnus sends back: _Central park, tomorrow at midnight._

The short, impersonal message is just the sort of over-dramatic thing he both loves and hates from Magnus. 

When he portals into the park that night, Magnus is already waiting for him. (In addition to no calendars, he also has no watches either. By the positioning of the moon and stars, Ragnor assumes he's only five minutes late. By Ragnor's standards, he's unforgivably early.)

Magnus is standing half in the shadows, the theatrical bastard, and he sends out a wave of magic before he even says anything. The familiar magic washes over Ragnor—an identity spell, he notices—and Magnus takes a single step forward.

Ragnor smiles, but before he can say anything Magnus is crashing into him. He stumbles back a few steps but catches Magnus, who hugs him so tightly it hurts. Ragnor pats him on the back a bit awkwardly and asks, "Miss me that much?"

When Magnus doesn't respond, Ragnor realizes he's crying. 

"Magnus, my boy," Ragnor says softly, which just makes Magnus cry even harder. He's still gripping Ragnor's jacket in one hand, and the other comes up to form a fist and weakly pound against his chest.

"You asshole, you total fucking sack of shit," Magnus chokes out between tears. He doesn't stop hitting Ragnor. "I hate you so much, oh my god, what the fuck."

His insults eventually transition into declarations of love and sorrow in equal amounts. Magnus stops punching him and just clings on, unwilling to let go yet despite Ragnor's unsubtle backward shifts.

Magnus finally lets out a small laugh and it's at that moment that Ragnor notices a tall, imposing form lurking in the shadows that Magnus came from. Any warlock worth a damn can sense Nephilim magic, but this one is so shrouded in Magnus' magical signature that Ragnor didn't notice him.

They lock eyes through the darkness and the Shadowhunter steps forward into the light. He's clutching a bow in his hands and glaring at Ragnor with enough fury to make him worried.

"Magnus, why is there a nephilim looking at me like he wants me dead?"

Magnus fully laughs at that, finally stepping back and letting Ragnor go. Ragnor smooths down his jacket and pants as Magnus turns to look at the other man. He can't see Magnus' expression, but he can hear the sickeningly fond tone of his voice as he says, "_Down_, Alexander. He's my friend."

The man doesn't look away from Ragnor, he barely even blinks, as he responds, "He hurt you."

Ragnor isn't sure what exactly thisman thinks he did, but he feels offended at the insinuation that he would ever willingly injure one of his friends. 

Magnus makes his way to the man and gently places a hand on the man's cheek. He murmurs, "Darling, it wasn't the first time and it won't be the last."

He finally stops glaring at Ragnor and when the man looks at Magnus, his expression changes entirely. What used to be fury and determination becomes what Ragnor can only describe as reverence. _This is_ the_ shadowhunter_, he realizes. 

They share a soft kiss under a very unromantic streetlight, and as Magnus pulls back Ragnor notices a flash of light. Magnus is no stranger to rings, but this one is much simpler than his regular style, and it's on his _ring finger_. He checks the other man and there's a matching ring on his hand too. 

"You're _married?!_" Ragnor blurts out, his usual composure and tact replaced with incredulity. Surprisingly, the shadowhunter is the first one to laugh.

Magnus grins at the man (his _husband_) and then back at Ragnor. With one hand he conjures a portal behind his back, and the other stretches out towards Ragnor.

"Come, my friend, I have a lot to tell you." 


End file.
